Phoenix winless again after ‘soft red card’
FOOTBALL
SYDNEY: Playing with 10 men, the Wellington Phoenix extended its winless ALeague run in New South Wales after a controversial 11 draw with Macarthur at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday night.
The draw marked its seventh straight game without a win in its adopted home state, while the Bulls are also yet to score a win in front of their new home fans.
Early dominance looked promising for the Phoenix, but the game was marred by a controversial red card to Phoenix midfielder Alex Rufer for kicking out at the legs of midfielder Denis Genreau in a contest for the ball.
With the Nix leading 10 after 62 minutes, Genreau appeared to fall awkwardly but the VAR called for a review of the incident, and the referee deemed it dangerous enough to give Rufer his marching orders.
It proved crucial for the Nix which conceded a goal soon after, Spaniard Markel Susaeta finding space and beating keeper Stefan Marinovic to level the scores.
‘‘In my opinion, it was a very soft red card,’’ a restrained Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay said.
‘‘I know my players quite well and Rufer isn’t that type of player.
‘‘I wish he was that type of player, but he’s not that type of player.
‘‘It changed the game. We were quite comfortable in the first half and into the second half.’’
Bulls coach Ante Milicic would not comment on the call, saying he did not see the incident closely enough.
He was, however, happy with an improved performance by the ALeague’s newest franchise.
‘‘Today we got a point and it’s a starting point with our supporters,’’ he said.
‘‘We definitely let them down six days ago [in the loss to Central Coast]. We had an opportunity today to get it right but in the end we came home well.’’
There were injury concerns for the Nix late in the match when Marinovic went down with a groin injury. He was being assessed yesterday.
Earlier, Nix star David Ball gave his side the lead with a goal after a sharp pass from James McGarry.
The Wollongongbased side has now been in Australia since the start of November, but due to border closures across the country will not play another game until January 24, when it faces Newcastle at WIN Stadium.
The twoweek break will be a hurdle for the side which is still developing match fitness, just two games into the ALeague season. — AAP
LONDON: Arsenal and Everton required extratime winners to reach the FA Cup fourth round yesterday, while sixthtier side Chorley beat a Derby County team severely weakened by the Covid19 pandemic.
Arsenal was held scoreless for 90 minutes by Newcastle United and it took a super finish from Emile SmithRowe to break the deadlock 19 minutes into extra time. PierreEmerick Aubameyang added a second eight minutes later.
Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure also scored an extratime winner as it edged secondtier Rotherham United 21 in another absorbing tie.
After 90 minutes, the score at Goodison Park was level at 11, but three minutes into extra time the Premier League side scored the decisive goal when substitute Doucoure slid the ball past helpless goalkeeper Jamal Blackman.
Scott McTominay headed Manchester United into a fifthminute lead against Watford but little else went its way as it hung on to win 10 at Old Trafford.
In the absence of firstteam players and interim manager Wayne Rooney, a youthful Derby County side was defeated 20 at National League North outfit Chorley.
The Covid19 outbreak at Derby meant nine of the starting 11 were making debuts and the visiting side fell behind when Connor Hall put Chorley ahead in the first half before Mike Calveley added a second in the 84th to secure a maiden fourthround berth.
Premier League basement side Sheffield United celebrated its first win in all competitions in six months by coming out on top in a fivegoal thriller at League One side Bristol Rovers.
Burnley striker Matej Vydra snatched a stoppage time equaliser to force extra time at Turf Moor before the home team edged thirdtier Milton Keynes Dons 43 in a penalty shootout.
Fellow Premier League struggler West Bromwich Albion was also forced to the distance at Blackpool but Sam Allardyce's side went down 32 on penalties.
James Justin's curling shot from the edge of the box found the top corner and set Leicester City on its way to an emphatic 40 victory over secondtier Stoke City.
Wycombe Wanderers, rooted to the bottom of the Championship, found the net three times in the opening 25 minutes and went on to claim a 41 win over Preston North End.
Millwall striker Kenneth Zohore and defender Shaun Hutchinson led the Championship side to a 20 win over fifthtier Boreham Wood, while Nottingham Forest beat Cardiff City 10 with an early goal by striker Lyle Taylor.
Luton Town beat Reading 10 in another allChampionship clash thanks to midfielder George Moncur.
In Saturday’s games, Liverpool cruised through to the fourth round with a comfortable 41 win against Aston Villa's youth team after the senior squad was hit by several Covid cases while Wolverhampton Wanderers downed Crystal Palace 10 courtesy of Adama Traore's 35thminute strike. — Reuters